NORWALK — Elected and appointed officials on Thursday evening laid the ground work for General Growth Properties, Inc., (GGP) to develop plans for a regional shopping center at the 95/7 site in Norwalk.

After discussion, members of the Common Council’s Planning Committee and the Norwalk Redevelopment Commission voted unanimously to advance recommended land uses and square-footage ranges for the dozen-acre development site off West Avenue and Interstate 95.

“We’re very pleased. It’s a great first step,” GGP Senior Director Douglas T. Adams said afterward. “We had submitted a concept master site plan and as (council members) move into their vote on the 24th, we’ll come back and really press forward full-speed ahead on design and moving through the rest of the process.”

The recommendations, which came from an ad hoc panel of the two city bodies, call for at least three land uses for the site — one of which must be “public realm” — as well as square-footage ranges for the various uses.

Recommended are 85,000 to 625,000 square feet of Class A office space, 75,000 to 750,000 square feet of retail space with no more than 10 percent being restaurants, 60 to 350 residential units and a 150-room hotel.

Discussion Thursday evening revolved around how the mall, if built, would impact restaurants in SoNo and what the shopping center might look like in appearance.

Councilman Bruce I. Kimmel asked what 10 percent of retail space would translate to in terms of restaurants.

Norwalk Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Timothy T. Sheehan said 10 percent would result in between 10 and 14 restaurants in the mall.

Kimmel continued to express his concerns about the impact on Washington Street restaurants. He urged serious consideration of a shuttle circulator — already discussed by GGP — to bring mall visitors to Washington Street, Mill Hill Historic Park, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and other Norwalk attractions.

The councilman later turned to architecture and asked that GGP build a uniquely New England mall.

“You could easily call this Norwalk a gateway to New England,” said Kimmel, an at-large Democrat. “If this mall stood out as somehow being New Englandish in character, I think that really is going to advance.”

Councilman Richard J. Bonenfant noted that the two panels were approving land uses and square footages rather than specifics of the proposed mall.

“Streets and roads and those kinds of thing are still open down the road … for public input and for officials to throw their suggestions into the hopper,” said Bonenfant, an at-large Republican.

The recommended land uses and square-footage ranges, if approved by the full council next Tuesday, will serve as an “exhibit” for future potential changes to the Land Disposition Agreement governing the development site. Sheehan reminded that the agreement, at this point, remains unchanged.

The current agreement, as approved in 2007, allows 475,000 to 625,000 square feet of office space, 75,000 to 125,000 square feet of retail, 250 to 350 residential units and an 80,000 to 110,000-square-foot hotel.

During the public participation portion of the meeting, East Norwalk resident Brenda Penn-Williams expressed concerns about the mall displacing residents.

“You’re promising jobs but this is a high-end mall. Who are you going to hire?” Penn-Williams said. “They’re not going to hire people that do not have a high school diploma, they’re not, so who are you looking to bring the money in? Not from Norwalk people.”

On Monday evening, the two panels held a public hearing on the recommended land uses and square footages. Most speakers voiced support for the mall.

Some speakers asked for an independent traffic study before reviewing the proposal any further.

Sheehan on Thursday evening said GGP ultimately would have to apply to the State Traffic Commission.

The commission would have independent experts review the traffic plan and request changes as needed. The Norwalk Zoning Commission also would require a traffic study, according to Sheehan.